


Pride

by Pollarize



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Blood, Emotional Abuse, Hallucinations, M/M, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-30 06:43:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5154059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pollarize/pseuds/Pollarize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Did I at least make you proud?"</p>
<p>"You're still weak and pathetic."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pride

**Author's Note:**

> Story is based off of a game called [Loved](https://ocias.com/loved.php). Please play this game at your own risk, it has caused me panic attacks and feelings of extreme discomfort.
> 
> Also, read this story at your own risk. It is an abusive relationship and I don't want anyone to read without a fair warning.

Tyler sat on the counter, swinging his legs as he looked at Josh. There was an unsettling smirk on his face.

Josh couldn’t quite pinpoint what all was scaring him. It was the smirk but it was also the way he sat. The rigidity of his body, the awkward positions, it just didn’t look right to Josh.

Of course, no one else knew about Tyler.

“I want you to hurt yourself,” Tyler whispered, jumping off the counter and walking over to Josh. It was fluid, almost effortless, the way he came over and leaned down until his lips were pressed to the shell of Josh’s ear. Josh shivered before he pushed the chair he was in back away from Tyler and shook his head.

“No, I’m not gonna do that,” he said, frowning that Tyler would ask such a thing.

“Josh, I already told you, it makes me angry when you disobey me like that,” Tyler said, his voice was still low, calm, but his words had an edge to it that was terrifying. It was power. His voice was power but Josh didn’t want to give in, he really didn’t, but the way that Tyler stood there, staring, waiting, the way that he spoke slowly and with such power had Josh giving in.

He stood and walked over to the kitchen, pulling a knife out and staring at it. There were hands on him, grabbing at his arms, rubbing them gently, encouraging him.

“Be a good boy and do it,” Tyler whispered, his breath hot in Josh’s ear.

Josh froze, the knife in the air. It was an internal battle, trying to put it down, to run away while also trying to please Tyler, to just give in and hear the praise.

Tyler’s hand reached out, gently covering Josh’s hand that held the blade. He guided Josh’s hand down to his arm, the cold blade touching Josh’s skin just barely before Tyler pulled it back, the blade stinging his skin but never enough to break it. There was only the sharp pain of the dull metal dragging over skin, the angry red skin that raised as it tried to repair itself.

Tyler laughed, raking his nails up the back of Josh’s hand, the pain making Josh flinch until he dropped the knife.

~~~

“Just punch the wall,” Tyler said conversationally in response to Josh’s rant about problems at school. Josh was fed up with Tyler’s need for pain, he didn’t want to, he never did.

“Fuck that,” Josh yelled, turning away from Tyler and shaking his head, scoffing, “I don’t wanna fucking do it.”

Josh felt hands on his shoulders, shoving him until he hit the wall, the air pushing out of his lungs before he was forced to turn around, his back slamming into the wall this time. There were hands at his throat, squeezing. They were too strong, Josh couldn’t even get enough room to suck in even a little bit of air.

“Disobey me again, Josh, I told you to punch the fucking wall, this time, you’re gonna do it until your knuckles bleed.”

The pressure on Josh’s neck let up and he crashed to his knees, choking over the air that rushed in. His face was wet and his head hurt and he wanted to run away but instead he stood up and obeyed.

He stood up and turned to the wall, drawing his fist back and pushing it forward, his knuckles screaming as they connected with the rough cement. There was a laugh that sounded behind him, it was bitter and emotionless.

“Fucking weak,” Tyler said, walking down the hall and taking a seat, watching Josh the whole time.

Josh looked away and punched the wall again and again, his knuckles splitting two punches ago. Instead of stopping then, he continued on until he heard the crack, until he felt the bones break and that’s when he stopped.

Josh turned to where Tyler was sitting, looking into the emotionless face.

“Did I at least make you proud?”

Tyler laughed again and shook his head.

“You’re still weak and pathetic.”

~~~

Josh’s mother drove him to the hospital, her worried voice in his ear the whole time while a silent and overpowering Tyler sat in the backseat.

“Why did you do this? Are you okay?” His mother asked, looking over every so often.

“This isn’t about that one boy you always talk about?” She asked. Josh remembered the last time he’d tried talking to his parents about Tyler.

“Don’t you dare tell her about me,” Tyler hissed, his hand reaching forward and gripping Josh’s shoulder far too tight.

“No, mom, I told you that I tripped, that’s all.”

She dropped the subject but she didn’t believe it. Tyler whispered the whole ride about how bad of a liar Josh was.

~~~

The day had started weird for Josh. Tyler was almost peaceful, acting pleasant, no harsh words or demands. For a second, Josh thought that maybe things were turning around, maybe Tyler would act like his friend again.

“Let's take a walk,” Tyler said with a smile on his face. Josh couldn’t find anything malicious in the look, he seemed genuine, so Josh nodded and followed after him without hesitation.

“You’re being such a good boy,” Tyler praised, linking his hand with Josh’s, swinging it in the air as they walked. Their route took them over a bridge and at first Josh thought nothing of it, a harmless way to walk, but the next time he looked over at Tyler there was that grin that meant nothing but pain and tears. Josh tried to yank his hand away, to get away, but he was weak compared to Tyler, he couldn’t no matter how hard he pulled.

“Fucking stop,” Tyler yelled, his hand clenching down until it felt like bones might break. Josh stopped then, not wanting to risk another hospital trip. Josh felt hands on his shoulders, the railing behind him.

“Please, no, you can’t do this,” Josh whimpered, looking over his shoulder at the water that was down below. A long way below.

“What are you gonna do? Cry? Are you gonna cry like a baby and beg me to stop? How many times do I have to tell you, Josh, that doesn’t work. It only makes you look pathetic and stupid,” and as hard as Josh tried, the tears came to his eyes and he couldn’t stop them from spilling over onto his cheeks. Tyler gave a growl, hands grabbing at clothing and turning, turning until Josh was facing the water, pushing until Josh hung with his waist balancing him between falling and standing. His feet were off the ground and he was holding onto the railing but it was an awkward position and he knew that if Tyler let go he would be falling.

“Tyler,” Josh whimpered again, his panic flaring until it left his lungs burning.

“You’re a waste of a life,” Tyler mumbled, pulling Josh back until his feet touched the ground and he let go, stepping back and watching as Josh crumpled to the ground, laying on the damp cement in a heap, sobbing into his arms, choking over air.

~~~

Josh woke up one night to an uncomfortable sensation in his neck. He opened his eyes, reaching up to rub at it before a voice stopped him.

“Move and you die.”

Josh froze, his eyes going wide as he looked over to find Tyler standing over him, a small smile on his face, his eyes glowing with anticipation. Josh didn’t know where to categorize this look in his bank of terrifying things.

“See, I got bored while you slept and found myself a pretty little knife. I wonder what would happen,” his sentence dropped off, the pressure growing into pain and Josh tried to squirm away, a hand reaching down and holding him in place.

Tyler moved knife away, bringing it down to have the blade pressed long ways against Josh’s throat.

“Who would even miss you?” Tyler asked, his voice making it sound like this was just an everyday conversation, that there was no wrong behind the words. Josh didn’t even dare to open his mouth.

His breath let out when the knife pulled away. Josh scrambled up into a sitting position, his eyes wide as he looked for the knife, for Tyler.

  
He found Tyler standing a foot away with the knife to his own throat, a grin on his face. The shadows made it look like his eyes were black and his teeth were sharpened.

  
“What if I killed myself?” Tyler questioned, a drop of blood rolling down his neck as he pressed the blade into his skin. Josh moved forward, stopping for a moment before he reached out and gently touched Tyler’s hand, guiding it away from his throat.

“Please don’t, I need you,” Josh whispered, unsure of when the tears started but they did and they weren’t going to stop.

There was a loud noise as the knife hit the floor and then Tyler was pushing Josh back, crawling into bed with him. Tyler pulled Josh in until he was curled into Tyler’s side.

“That’s my baby boy,” Tyler said, his hands gentle as they caressed Josh’s skin.

~~~

“Why are you so stupid?” Tyler asked and Josh lowered his head, closing his eyes to try and keep himself from tearing up like he always seemed to do.

“I’m not,” Josh tried but there was no power behind it, no will to really try and fight, Tyler had beaten that out of him for the most part.

“Joshua, I have told you time and time again that when you disobey me it makes me mad.”

Josh didn’t say anything, he just looked at his feet, nodding his head when Tyler finished talking.

“Go get the knife,” Tyler said, that calm voice again that made Josh fearful of what was to come. He stood up without protest and went to grab it, feeling Tyler follow him the whole way. Josh grabbed a knife and pressed it into his skin, knowing where this situation would lead, knowing what arguing or stalling would do.

“Do it,” Tyler said and Josh hesitated for just a second, the hand on his again and Tyler was pressing, harder than he did last time.

“Ah, Tyler, stop, please, that hurts,” Josh said, trying to pull his arm away but Tyler was surrounding him and holding him in place and there was no escape. Tyler pulled the blade, pressing in and pulling fast, it left a deep gash, the blood spilling over and dripping, drop after drop to the floor. Tyler pulled away, staring down at the blood. Josh looked over and thought that for a minute, maybe Tyler regretted doing it but when he looked up, his eyes gave away his excitement and his drive and Josh had never been more scared in his entire life.

“Again,” Tyler whispered, his eyes flickering between Josh’s face, the blood, and the knife.

Josh obeyed, holding his arm out and pulling the blade across his skin. It burned and stung and it hurt but Josh knew that this was better than anything Tyler would do. Again and again Josh did it, he did it until his vision blurred and his knees gave out and the tiredness wore down over him.

**  
** “You’ve made me proud,” Tyler said, reaching down and running his fingers through Josh’s hair. The last thing Josh saw was Tyler’s gentle smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Sin™


End file.
